MPSF Swimmer of the Week

 

Freshman Courtney Van Oost



This past week Courtney Van Oost was named Swimmer of the Week for MPSF!!!

A HUGE pat on the back goes out to Courtney, a freshman from Elgin, IL for her accomplishment which not only marks UNC's first recongnition in the MPSF but also the first ever Swimmer of the Week for the whole conference.(8 Swimming and Diving Members)

The UNC Bears Swimming and Diving Captains also award a weekly "Bear Award" to a member of the team for their performance at a meet or work ethic during practices.  This week's Bear Award went to Courtney to compliment her MPSF Swimmer of the Week in recongnition for her overall performances at the Intermountain Shootout Oct 8-9 hosted by Mesa State.

The opportunity for our athletes to be awarded this accolade weekly and also receive numerous other accoclades at the end of the season(Newcomer of the Year; All-Academic Team; All-Conference Team) are among the top reasons why we are excited to be a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference.

MPSF Release and Weekly Re-Cap
UNCBears.com Official Release

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A Day in the Life..

To give us a glimpse into her day-to-day life is Alana Dauman who is a Senior from Thornton, Colorado representing the Bears in the backstroke events.


Senior Swimmer Alana Dauman

A Day in the Life of Alana Dauman.................................

A straight plunge into the depths of what ultimately lies beneath the surface.   Diving only deep enough to where there’s no point in returning.  We are faced with the unknown, our fate is yet to be determined and the challenge has already been set up for us.  I stand frigid behind the blocks, watching the ripples of the water disappear.

 It’s another day, and after almost hitting the snooze on my alarm I jump up, and race to practice to get ready for a morning of weights.  In an instance, my 8 am class calls and I am in for another day of classes and a good amount of studying.

  Today, I learned about the different parts of the body and how they react to exercise from a physics point of view. I learned that EKG’s, or in other words the heart monitors that are hooked up to people in the hospital, aren’t as easy to read as they look.  And it really isn’t just, is the person alive or not.  I learned that knowing your sexual identity isn’t based just solely on your personality and what you like to do.  It’s also how you view yourself as a person, and how you react to others.  I learned that the human body is made up of many different systems all working together as one.  I’ve learned in college it’s not how smart you are its how much you apply yourself.  Knowledge is ultimately contagious! 

Off to swim practice, we start with dry-land and then move onto two hours of intense swimming, the day is almost over.  Studying is the next item on my agenda.  Swimming at the collegiate level has taught me how important managing your time is.  It’s a skill that I have acquired and learned to stick by in order to get the grades needed.  At last, it’s time for some sleep, fatigue has set in to the extreme and sleep is easy to come.         

The time is now, the time is here, and nothing else matters.  It’s my last chance, my last big meet at the end of the season, its three years of hard work and all of it’s soon going to pay off.  It’s the last glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel and I couldn’t be more excited to see how it’s all going to end.  This team is what has gotten me through, made it worth it, and when everything else fails they’re the ones still there! 

First Wins of the Season!

Congrats to the AquaBears on securing their first two wins of the season this past weekend against Mesa State and Adams State at the 2010 Intermountain Shootout in Grand Junction, CO.

The team was a little rusty on Friday evening after a 5hr. bus ride through the mountians but came out strong on Saturday securing the wins and posting numerous Top Ten All-Time Performances over the weekend.  Top Ten Performances were posted by Courtney Van Oost (200 Back-2:07.75), 200 Medley Relay-1:51.10(Sammy Leonard, Amanda Donegan, Gina Riggle, JJ Smith), 200 Free Relay-1:42.83(Leonard, Riggle, Hattie Oats, Smith).

And as with every trip there are memorable moments................Coach Kelly or Bus Driver Kelly!?!?!??

A Day in the Life of an AquaBear

Mostly you see our AquaBears in the pool as swimmers and divers but in reality our athletes are much more than just a swimmer or a diver.  In addition to practices, meets, team meetings, weights, study hall and traveling our AquaBears also take a full load of classes and sometimes find time for socializing....typically at a meal with the team. 

Senior Captain Tori Gutt

Every Thursday we will be highlighting an AquaBear with a recount of their daily schedule including insight to experiences and lessons learned over the course of their career as an AquaBear.  We hope to give you a behind the scenes look at our swimmers and divers.

Our first AquaBear is senior and co-captain Tori Gutt.  Tori holds UNC Top All-Time Times in both the 200 Breast and 400 IM with many other times in our Top Ten list.  Originally from Tucson, AZ here is A Day in the Life of Tori Gutt.................

Sometimes, people ask me why I chose to swim in college.  This question used to be hard to answer because the schedule is grueling, and the sport is demanding. But now, as a senior, and after 3 years of this life, I think I have figured out the answer to that popular question. . .

The alarm clock always goes off early.  I roll out of bed and head to the pool.  The morning practice goes well. After practice is over, I feel good.

I eat a quick breakfast after practice and complete some final homework assignments before classes start.  I live in an apartment within walking distance to campus.  I walk with my roommate to our classes.  I enjoy learning and love putting my best effort into a difficult assignment.  Working hard in the classroom is just as important as working hard in the pool.

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After a full day of class, it is time for our afternoon practice.  As a group, we stretch and do dryland—abs today.  Then we jump in the pool for a hard workout.  When we have finished, I am exhausted, but I have such a feeling of accomplishment.  Each day of hard work is one day closer to the team showing it off at conference.

Following practice, I eat dinner at the dining hall with the team.  I am all about the dining hall!  It is all-you-can-eat, which I am a huge fan of, because who doesn’t like unlimited food?  Duh, sign me up—love it.  The food is delicious, and the conversation is great.  We always share lots of laughs at dinner.  I walk back to my apartment to start a long night of homework.  I have a quiz to study for and a lot of assignments due tomorrow.  My studying is productive, and I feel ready for my quiz in the morning.

I wish I had some extra free time after I finish my work to relax.  But, it is bedtime.  I have learned that sleep is just too important.  School and swimming are time consuming, but I know it is all worth it.  Swimming has taught me how to manage my time, and how to juggle it all. 

I don’t do it for the early morning wake up calls.

I don’t do it for the rushed breakfasts or the hurried homework.

I don’t do it for the endless crunches, the sore muscles or the grueling workouts.

I don’t do it for the long, late nights of homework.

I don’t do it for the lack of sleep or the full body fatigue. 

We all sacrifice a lot to live this life, but it is something I will never forget.  When things get tough, it is the little things that get me through it all.  It’s the little jokes in the locker room.  It’s late night story time on long bus rides.  It’s a smile from a teammate in the hallway at school.  It’s the pancake breakfasts after Saturday practices.  It’s the team movie nights after a long week.  It’s funny, because I don’t remember practice on October 4 of my freshman year.  I don’t remember my time in the 200 breaststroke at the Early Bird Invite 3 years ago.  I don’t remember weight room workouts from last month.  But what I do remember are the memories.  And those memories will last a lifetime.  I remember meeting the team for the first time.  I remember making friends that will last a lifetime.  I remember sharing stories at team sleepovers.  Some of the best times of my life have been spent with the girls on this team.  By next week, I probably won’t even remember yesterday’s workout.  But I will always remember this team, and that is what is important.  The team is what gets me through it all. 

And that is why I swim.

Blue vs. Gold Innersquad and Alumni Weekend

The Blue vs. Gold Innersquad was a great meet for our team. Compared to last year's Blue and Gold Meet over half of the events swam had faster times this year. Great job AquaBears, we are on our way to a great season!

Alums Art Wolverton, Ron and Ella Mae Brown

We would also like to Thank the Swimming and Diving Alumni who came out to support the current AquaBears. Divers Art Wolverton, Caty Cook and Swimmers Ron Brown, and Lynette Washburn who pulled out the cap and goggles to compete on the Gold Team.

After a few tense moments after the 400 Free Relay the Gold Team proved to be the best that evening edging out the Blue 116 to 113. Follow the link below for our Official Release on the Bears Athletic website.

Gold edges Blue in 2010 Innersquad

Next up for the AquaBears is the Intermountain Shootout in Grand Junction, CO hosted by Mesa State

Flower Power II

Apparently it has gotten around to team about how fun it is warm-up with The Flower Cap because.........

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLISON!!!!


 









FLOWER POWER!

Many different sports and many teams carry on traditions.  Here at UNC the AquaBears have started a new tradition........FLOWER POWER!!  On each of their respective birthdays the athletes will warm-up in a Flower Cap that just might resemble something they'll wear a few years down the road while lap swimming.

In true form it was the youngest of the AquaBears that got to wear it first.......



 



Happy Birthday Christina!!!



The Coaches unanimously agreed to let technique slide for about 10 minutes so the Flower Cap could be adequately used.